EJ Moreno looks back at Zack Snyder’s time in the DC Universe…
Andy Muschietti’s The Flash attempts to shut the door on the SnyderVerse in many ways. The time-traveling, universe-hopping adventure shakes the state of the DC Universe ahead of the upcoming James Gunn “reboot.”
As the studio attempts to complete the most massive chapter in its legacy, we must look at it and figure out what happened. Zack Snyder’s time at DC and Warner Bros. was tumultuous, but it also offered up fans three of the most compelling superhero films ever.
The three major SnyderVerse projects – Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League – tell one of the genre’s most epic tales, even if some fans weren’t ready for such an adventure.
In this piece, we’ll look back at what made all three projects special, why they were so misunderstood, and how they created a legacy that will last for decades.
One of the most common criticisms about the three Zack Snyder DCEU films is the overall story. Many have poked holes in the seemingly rushed nature while also disregarding any existing threads that were made. I believe this story has a clear beginning, middle, and end.
While “rushed” by modern cinematic universe standards, the three films are a complete story. It feels like a throwback to a classic trilogy where we didn’t need 12 movies leading up to one event film; each one of these films was an event.
Starting with Man of Steel, we begin our journey into Snyder’s complex DCEU. We are introduced to our central figure who would carry us through this arc: Superman, played by Henry Cavill. As much flack as Snyder received for “not handling the character correctly,” the filmmaker sure made an effort to tell a unique Superman story.
Man of Steel plants the seeds for every outing that comes after, even if the film isn’t directly related to these Snyder films. We wouldn’t have this year’s The Flash without what we established here.
In Snyder’s DCEU debut, Superman’s quest for humanity begins. From the moment he enters his own, he’s faced with hard truths about his powers. He’s an overpowered outsider who must hide his identity to fit into society. This even goes as far as losing his father, never to expose what he could do. Then he’s faced with the opportunity to leave his world behind, forgoing humanity to be with his people.
That is the trigger for everything we see going forward; Superman’s choice to save Earth from Zod’s attack, killing his last hope at finding out what he thought was his true path, truly shakes our hero. And let’s not forget the destruction we see our hero cause during this battle, which plays perfectly into the next film.
As Superman fully enters the world at the end of 2013’s Man of Steel, he has to deal with those ramifications soon after. That leads to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a tragic exploration of a hero wanting to do what’s best but never finding what others deem best. After the sacrifices he made for a world he so desperately wanted to fit in with, they turned their back on him. We see how it slowly makes Clark Kent more bitter in his work and Superman more exhausted.
With a bull-in-a-china shop fighting style and such harsh hate from those around, Superman is backed into a corner and unleashed when he meets a new hero who questions his place like all the others. That’s where Batman begins to take shape, letting Ben Affleck steal the show in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and giving Cavill the perfect foil.
To keep it brief, Batfleck kept the DCEU together and deserved far more respect than he’s given. Even as recently as The Flash was released this week, Affleck is there, and his work in Batman v Superman truly is overlooked. Masterful job, and it feels like the first genuinely different Batman we’ve seen in live-action. Gone is the origin story, and we get a man beaten down by his city.
Batman is where Superman would be heading if things didn’t come to a head in one of comic book movies’ most engaging final acts. With Lex Luthor introducing Doomsday, our heroes are only saved by another iconic DC character, Wonder Woman.
While the film still takes time to set up and pay off so much from Man of Steel, we also take time to build the future with small DCEU cameos. Say what you will about this film, but Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman debut was one of the most memorable moments of 2016. There’s a reason her movie did so well soon after, and that good faith carried over for a few projects until the behind-the-scenes drama didn’t stay there.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ends with Superman dying, but in reality, it brought to life one of the most insane eras in filmmaking.
Man of Steel sets up our central figure, Batman v Superman lets us know his place in the world while also upping the ante. Zack Snyder’s Justice League gives us spectacle, fan service, and completed one of comic book movies’ most exciting arcs. Sadly, it took five years to see what Zack Snyder was trying to do, but we got there nonetheless.
It’s hard to discuss the end of Snyder’s DCEU trilogy without all the Joss Whedon/Warner Bros. drama, but this piece is meant to focus on the goods. Let’s just say the poor reception of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad in 2016 scared the studio. There was a mad scramble to fix things, which led to some mixed results. Wonder Woman and Aquaman survived, but sadly Snyder’s epic conclusion to this part of his DC story didn’t make it out alive.
When personal tragedy struck the filmmaker’s life, Joss Whedon took over the production and changed the film. This led to the 2017 Justice League being one of the most polarizing projects of all time and lit a fire that would turn into the Release The SnyderCut movement. For years, fans would demand that Warner Bros. and DC release Snyder’s vision of the film. It grew and grew, and no one could ignore it.
With a pandemic raging and a tiny budget, Zack Snyder was allowed to finish the project. On March 18, 2021, the four-hour film known as Zack Snyder’s Justice League was unleashed.
For fans who wanted everyone to get why we wanted this film and why we were so hooked on this DCEU story, everything felt right in the world.
In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, we finally got to see the actors deliver the performances we’d all hoped for, helping to bring to life these iconic characters ideally. The man knew how to cast if there’s one thing to walk away from when looking at Snyder’s time with DC. Affleck, Gadot, Fisher, Momoa, and Miller all felt pitch-perfect in their roles. Some felt a bit different than the traditional comic book versions, but the souls of each iconic character lived within these performances.
None encapsulate that sentiment more than Henry Cavill, who brings his best performance as Superman yet, and he’s not even the main character. Ben Affleck’s Batman/Bruce Wayne carries the bulk of the film, and he does it quite well. But Cavill’s Superman gets such a compelling story within the movie while tying together the first two entries.
Superman gets to show off his raw power as he’s brought back to life unexpectedly. As he tears through the Justice League, he’s only stopped by Lois Lane. She tells him that they need to go home, and they do. Superman is faced with why he does what he does, the two women in his life, and seeing him be so human is lovely. The reunion with Lois and, later, Clark’s mother is one of the most heartfelt moments from a filmmaker who often gets called hollow.
Then, he puts on the iconic black suit and saves the day in the film’s fantastic and wild last act. All of our heroes have time to shine in the movie, but we never forget the heart of this epic saga. Superman was always Snyder’s focus in these films, and the sad narrative that he didn’t care about the character feels so misguided.
Zack Snyder’s DCEU trilogy never got its fair shake. From comparisons to the MCU, online hate towards Snyder, and an overall disinterest in the tone he was setting, it all came together to hinder this saga before it fully began.
If we let the Snyder movies play out as planned, would we be at the point where DC Studios is now? The once-beloved film franchise has seemingly been tarnished, and we can see the precise moment when it all happened. Not to say that the Snyder movies were perfect and everyone would’ve loved them, but would things be as rough as we see currently?
From Man of Steel to Justice League, an epic saga was unfolding in front of us, and I think it’s time we pay Snyder his flowers for giving us an actual moment in DC history.
Now, let’s see what James Gunn cooks up with Superman: Legacy…
EJ Moreno
